


Value Me

by CosmoKid



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Brotherly Bonding, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Pre-Canon, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-11-16 08:33:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18090977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmoKid/pseuds/CosmoKid
Summary: For prompt: Leave a “Value Me” in my ask, and I’ll write a drabble about one character telling another how they feel about them.





	Value Me

He’s barely conscious when he hears Diego speak, his voice barely above a whisper. “I wish you’d stop doing this to yourself, Klaus.”

His shoulders tense, but he tries to give no other signs of being awake. He forces himself to relax into Diego’s ratty couch as if he’s still passed out from whatever he took last night. At least he assumes it’s Diego’s couch, he has no idea. He’s never been to wherever Diego lives before last night. 

“It’s been six years, Klaus. I haven’t seen you in _six years_ and then I find you half-dead in s-some r-rundown crackhouse, what the hell, man? W-why are you d-doing this to yourself? I don’t get it. I w-w-wish you’d stop.”

He hears Diego’s breath catch. It’s been a long time since he’s heard Diego stutter, since Ben’s memorial specifically. 

Diego takes a deep breath that’s just audible for Klaus. “Dad f-fucked you up, I g-get it, okay? I do. He fucked us, fucked us all up. But you d-don’t see the rest of us nearly o-, nearly overdosing on whatever the fuck you took last night, Klaus. I haven’t had to carry a n-nearly dead Allison out of a crackhouse. Why do you do this, Klaus? I don’t get it.”

It’s silent for a while, the only sound being Diego’s heavy breathing. He should say something, apologise or just yell at him back or something. They’re a dysfunctional family, they might as well act like it. But he can’t; he can’t bring himself to say anything, just lies on the sofa trying to remember how to breathe.

“I know we’re not close, you know?” Diego starts again, his voice softer now. Klaus has to stop himself from tensing when he feels Diego reach out and push his greasy hair out of his face. “We’re barely a family, I get it. Maybe I have no right to be criticising you for it, I don’t know. I just, I c-care about you and I don’t w-want to watch you k-kill yourself. I c-can’t l-lose you, n-n-not after B-B-”

_Not after Ben,_ remains unspoken between them. 

Diego’s hand is running through his hair now and Klaus can feel it shaking. “I d-don’t know w-what Dad did to you… during your special training. I know that you were n-never the same after, I never asked. I should have. I should have done s-something, but I didn’t. I’m sorry, but I’m not, I’m not going to watch you destroy yourself, n-not again. I can’t.”

He wants to say something, but he can’t even think of any words to say. He just exhales, his heart hurting and his head heavy with guilt.

“You’re my brother, Klaus, and I’m gonna, I’m going to be a better brother, okay? I’ll do better for you. I just, I hope you’ll do better for m-me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! :)
> 
> come cry with me on [tumblr](https://cosmo-k-i-d.tumblr.com/%22)  
> 


End file.
